In a vibrant vignette, New Orleans rap paragon Lil Wayne champions his hometown's rich musical legacy. Produced by The FADER and Beats By Dre, the Hot Boys prodigy turned Greatest Rapper Alive expresses his undying love for the city that birthed him. Though he's become a bonafide rap phenom, the proud Crescent City native always finds his way back: admittedly, he can't go more than two months without having to return home and soak up the infectious, familiar energy that has fueled much of his career.
Although he reigns as one of NOLA's greats, Wayne confesses that he's had to aim high to be recognized as a renowned contributor to its deep heritage. As creatives continue to expand the sound of New Orleans, Wayne says that its pioneering musicians remain templates for inspiration.
"What influenced us was the early New Orleans artists," Wayne said. "We're all just following that fabric, that tradition, and the culture now and it's easy to follow when it's natural."
Credits: The FADER Director: Rob Semmer Producer: Frances Capell DP: Scott Perry AC: Matt Guidry Steadicam Operator: Steve Acheson Sound Recordist: Miliken Gardner Fixers: Jimmy Horn and Gabe Soria PA: Leicester Landon Editor: Sam Balaban Archivist: Andrew Petrilak Post Production Manager: Christopher Jones Sound Mixer: Eugene Wasserman Colorist: Kath Raisch at Company 3
BEATS BY DRE EVP, Head of Marketing: Jason White Executive Creative Director: Perry Fair Music Marketing: Kristen Fraser Head of Production: Michael Refuerzo Producer: Brittany Cammisa
Archival Footage: Hot Boys Doc - Courtesy of AV1 Productions / Amir Valinia New Orleans Exposed - Courtesy of Dontrece Knox / Freddie Mae Films
Subscribe now for more The FADER http://bit.ly/XPZVfG
Read the FADER: http://www.thefader.com Follow the FADER on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefader Like the FADER on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/11JaNSJ Follow the FADER on Tumblr: http://bit.ly/xerObW
